Lowland · Mixed · Co. Antrim / Lough Neagh Tributaries

Six Mile Water

The Six Mile Water river running through autumn trees near Antrim, Northern Ireland.

The Six Mile Water is the most famous dollaghan river — a Lough Neagh tributary flowing through Antrim town.

Poor · Brown Trout
Partridge and Orange · 14-16
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
River temperature is the limiting factor today, not the flow. This is not the day to push it. Check the thermal advice above before you head out.
80% confidence
What moved it
  • Level1.08 mLast reading 15h ago
  • Water temp20.8°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Partridge and Orange
Partridge and Orange14-16
Upstream
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
1.08 m
Last reading 15h ago
Water temp20.8°C
ClarityClear
Weather21°C
WindSW 10 km/h
Pressure1019 hPa
Rain · recent0.3 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Warm — slow
21°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Water at 20.8°C — above the brown trout caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6am

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 3 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

See the full sub-surface read with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 with Pro.

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Evidence
Survey-backed · regionalHigh confidence

Backed by regional invertebrate surveys; no sampling on this exact reach yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · August highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Terrestrial BeetlesHatch
2
3
3
2
Blue Winged OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
1
Black MidgeHatch
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Cooler water nearby · 1
Water here around 21°C — probably warm enough to stress Brown Trout . These are likely cooler.
Lough Neagh
13 km
~18°C
Brown trout · Pike · Dollaghan
Gallery · 2
  1. The Six Mile Water river running through autumn trees near Antrim, Northern Ireland.
    Autumn on the Six Mile Water at Antrim, County Antrim.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The Six Mile Water is the most famous dollaghan river — a Lough Neagh tributary flowing through Antrim town. Dollaghan are endemic lake-run brown trout unique to the Lough Neagh system, running upstream July–October to spawn. Night fishing for dollaghan is a Northern Irish tradition — big fish (2–8 lb, occasional doubles) taken on streamers and large wet flies after dark. Resident brown trout throughout. Managed by Six Mile Water Trust and local clubs.

Hatches & food

No venue-specific hatch data yet; as a lowland main-stem river feeding Lough Neagh, expect the mixed upwing, sedge and midge activity typical of Ulster lowland rivers rather than a confirmed hatch — general guidance only.

  • Mixed
The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 80%
How the 22 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature16 × 28%4.5
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time80 × 13%10.4
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity65 × 12%7.8
Limiting factor: Water temperature (20.8°C) is outside Brown Trout's preferred range (10–16°C)= 63
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 March → 31 October
Related guides
ConnemaraIrish fishingEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts